Printing management device and method, printing management system, printing system information processing device and recording medium for deciding a printout condition

Abstract

A printing management device includes: a customer property DB configured to accumulate history data for each customer; a printer property DB configured to record printer property data for each of multiple printers; target image quality index decision means configured to decide a target image quality index by the use of the history data of the customer property DB; and printout condition decision means configured to decide/output output conditions with reference to the printer property DB according to order information and the target image quality index.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A printing management device configured to decide output conditions of a printed matter according to a customer's order information, comprising:
 a customer property database configured to accumulate history data where two or more data sets of classification information on at least one of usage and content type of a printed matter provided in past dealings with each customer, an image quality index showing quality of the printed matter by a numerical value, and customer's evaluation with respect to the printed matter are associated with each other; 
 an image quality distribution generation processor configured to generate at least one of image quality distribution data showing distribution of image quality indices and number of times that satisfy customer's request quality in the past dealings, and image quality distribution data showing distribution of image quality indices and number of times that do not satisfy customer's request quality in the past dealings, using the history data accumulated in the customer property database; and 
 a target image quality index decision processor configured to decide a target image quality index showing target quality of a printed matter according to the customer's order information using the at least one of the image quality distribution data, 
 wherein the history data used for generating the image quality distribution data includes two or more data sets regarding plural past dealings. 
 
     
     
       2. A printing management device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a print output conditions deciding processor configured to output information of a printer that can realize the customer's order information and the target image quality index based on printer property data in which the printer and an image quality index realized by the printer are associated, the customer's order information, and the target image quality index. 
     
     
       3. The printing management device according to  claim 1 , wherein the image quality distribution generation processor generates the at least one of the image quality distribution data corresponding to the classification information, and the target image quality index decision processor decides the target image quality index showing the target quality of the printed matter according to the customer's order information using the at least one of the image quality distribution data corresponding to the classification information. 
     
     
       4. The printing management device according to  claim 1 , wherein the image quality distribution generation processor generates a histogram as the image quality distribution data showing relationship between image quality indices and number of times that satisfy customer's request quality for respective purposes of printed matters from the history data. 
     
     
       5. The printing management device according to  claim 1 , wherein the image quality distribution generation processor generates a histogram as the image quality distribution data showing relationship between image quality indices and number of times that do not satisfy customer's request quality for respective purposes of printed matters from the history data. 
     
     
       6. A printing management method of deciding output conditions to provide a printed matter according to a customer's order information, the method comprising:
 preparing a customer property database configured to accumulate history data where two or more data sets of classification information on at least one of usage and content type of a printed matter provided in past dealings with each customer, an image quality index showing quality of the printed matter by a numerical value, and customer's evaluation with respect to the printed matter are associated with one another, 
 the method further comprising using one or more processors to perform: 
 an image quality distribution generation step of generating at least one of image quality distribution data showing distribution of image quality indices and number of times that satisfy customer's request quality in the past dealings, and image quality distribution data showing distribution of image quality indices and number of times that do not satisfy customer's request quality in the past dealings, using the history data accumulated in the customer property database; and 
 a target image quality index decision step of deciding a target image quality index showing target quality of a printed matter according to the customer's order information using the at least one of the image quality distribution data, and 
 wherein the history data used for generating the image quality distribution data includes two or more data sets regarding plural past dealings. 
 
     
     
       7. A printing management method according to  claim 6 , further comprising using one or more processors to perform:
 a print output conditions deciding step of outputting information of a printer that can realize the customer's order information and the target image quality index based on printer property data in which a printer and an image quality index realized by the printer are associated, the customer's order information, and the target image quality index. 
 
     
     
       8. The printing management method according to  claim 6 , wherein the image quality distribution generation step generates the at least one of the image quality distribution data corresponding to the classification information, and the target image quality index decision step decides the target image quality index showing the target quality of the printed matter according to the customer's order information using the at least one of the image quality distribution data corresponding to the classification information. 
     
     
       9. The printing management method according to  claim 6 , wherein the image quality distribution generation step generates a histogram as the image quality distribution data showing relationship between image quality indices and number of times that satisfy customer's request quality for respective purposes of printed matters from the history data. 
     
     
       10. The printing management method according to  claim 6 , wherein the image quality distribution generation step generates a histogram as the image quality distribution data showing relationship between image quality indices and number of times that do not satisfy customer's request quality for respective purposes of printed matters from the history data. 
     
     
       11. A non-transitory computer-readable tangible medium recording a program
 causing at least one computer to function as: 
 a customer property database configured to accumulate history data of a customer's order information where two or more data sets of classification information on at least one of usage and content type of a printed matter provided in past dealings with each customer, an image quality index showing quality of the printed matter by a numerical value, and customer's evaluation with respect to the printed matter are associated with each other; 
 an image quality distribution generation processor configured to generate at least one of image quality distribution data showing distribution of image quality indices and number of times that satisfy customer's request quality in the past dealings, and image quality distribution data showing distribution of image quality indices and number of times that do not satisfy customer's request quality in the past dealings, using the history data accumulated in the customer property database; and 
 a target image quality index decision processor configured to decide a target image quality index showing target quality of a printed matter according to the customer's order information using the at least one of the image quality distribution data, 
 wherein the history data used for generating the image quality distribution data includes two or more data sets regarding plural past dealings. 
 
     
     
       12. A non-transitory computer-readable tangible medium according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the program causes the at least the one computer to function a print output 
 conditions deciding processor configured to output information of a printer that can realize the customer's order information and the target image quality index based on printer property data in which the printer and an image quality index realized by the printer are associated, the customer's order information, and the target image quality index. 
 
     
     
       13. A non-transitory computer-readable tangible medium according to  claim 11 , wherein the image quality distribution generation processor generates the at least one of the image quality distribution data corresponding to the classification information, and the target image quality index decision processor decides the target image quality index showing the target quality of the printed matter according to the customer's order information using the at least one of the image quality distribution data corresponding to the classification information. 
     
     
       14. A non-transitory computer-readable tangible medium according to  claim 11 , wherein the image quality distribution generation processor generates a histogram as the image quality distribution data showing relationship between image quality indices and number of times that satisfy customer's request quality for respective purposes of printed matters from the history data. 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer-readable tangible medium according to  claim 11 , wherein the image quality distribution generation processor generates a histogram as the image quality distribution data showing relationship between image quality indices and number of times that do not satisfy customer's request quality for respective purposes of printed matters from the history data. 
     
     
       16. A printing management device configured to decide output conditions of a printed matter according to a customer's order information, comprising:
 a customer property database configured to accumulate history data where two or more data sets of classification information on at least one of usage and content type of a printed matter provided in past dealings with each customer, an image quality index showing quality of the printed matter by a numerical value and customer's evaluation with respect to the printed matter are associated with each other; 
 an image quality distribution generation processor configured to generate at least one of image quality distribution data showing distribution of image quality indices and number of times that satisfy customer's request quality corresponding to the classification information, and image quality distribution data showing distribution of image quality indices and number of times that do not satisfy customer's request quality corresponding to the classification information, using the history data accumulated in the customer property database; and 
 a target image quality index decision processor configured to decide a target image quality index showing target quality of a printed matter according to the customer's order information using the at least one of the image quality distribution data corresponding the classification information, 
 wherein the history data used for generating the image quality distribution data includes two or more data sets regarding plural past dealings. 
 
     
     
       17. The printing management device according to  claim 16 , wherein the image quality distribution generation processor generates a histogram as the image quality distribution data showing relationship between image quality indices and number of times that satisfy customer's request quality for respective purposes of printed matters from the history data. 
     
     
       18. The printing management device according to  claim 16 , wherein the image quality distribution generation processor generates a histogram as the image quality distribution data showing relationship between image quality indices and number of times that do not satisfy customer's request quality for respective purposes of printed matters from the history data. 
     
     
       19. A printing management method configured to decide output conditions of a printed matter according to a customer's order information, the method using one or more processors to perform:
 an accumulating step of accumulating history data in a customer property database where two or more data sets of classification information on at least one of usage and content type of a printed matter provided in past dealings with each customer, an image quality index showing quality of the printed matter by a numerical value and customer's evaluation with respect to the printed matter are associated with each other; 
 an image quality distribution generation step of generating at least one of image quality distribution data showing distribution of image quality indices and number of times that satisfy customer's request quality corresponding to the classification information, and image quality distribution data showing distribution of image quality indices and number of times that do not satisfy customer's request quality corresponding to the classification information, using the history data accumulated in the customer property database; and 
 a target image quality index decision step of deciding a target image quality index showing target quality of a printed matter according to the customer's order information using the at least one of the image quality distribution data corresponding the classification information, 
 wherein the history data used for generating the image quality distribution data includes two or more data sets regarding plural past dealings. 
 
     
     
       20. The printing management method according to  claim 19 , wherein the image quality distribution generation step generates a histogram as the image quality distribution data showing relationship between image quality indices and number of times that satisfy customer's request quality for respective purposes of printed matters from the history data. 
     
     
       21. The printing management method according to  claim 19 , wherein the image quality distribution generation step generates a histogram as the image quality distribution data showing relationship between image quality indices and number of times that do not satisfy customer's request quality for respective purposes of printed matters from the history data. 
     
     
       22. A non-transitory computer-readable tangible medium recording a program causing at least one computer to function as:
 a customer property database configured to accumulate history data where two or more data sets of classification information on at least one of usage and content type of a printed matter provided in past dealings with each customer, an image quality index showing quality of the printed matter by a numerical value and customer's evaluation with respect to the printed matter are associated with each other; 
 an image quality distribution generation processor configured to generate at least one of image quality distribution data showing distribution of image quality indices and number of times that satisfy customer's request quality corresponding to the classification information, and image quality distribution data showing distribution of image quality indices and number of times that do not satisfy customer's request quality corresponding to the classification information, using the history data accumulated in the customer property database; and 
 a target image quality index decision processor configured to decide a target image quality index showing target quality of a printed matter according to the customer's order information using the at least one of the image quality distribution data corresponding the classification information, 
 wherein the history data used for generating the image quality distribution data includes two or more data sets regarding plural past dealings. 
 
     
     
       23. The computer readable medium according to  claim 22 , wherein the image quality distribution generation processor generates a histogram as the image quality distribution data showing relationship between image quality indices and number of times that satisfy customer's request quality for respective purposes of printed matters from the history data. 
     
     
       24. The computer readable medium according to  claim 22 , wherein the image quality distribution generation processor generates a histogram as the image quality distribution data showing relationship between image quality indices and number of times that do not satisfy customer's request quality for respective purposes of printed matters from the history data.